Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue
- Cue Name: Taj Mahal
- Long Name: Meucci Taj Mahal
- Cue Full Name: Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue
- Cue Short Name: Taj Mahal
- Cue Short Description: Meucci "Taj Mahal" pool cue
- Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue MSRP: $50000
- Manufacturer or Brand Owner: Meucci
- Brand Name: Meucci, aka Meucci Originals
- Production Date(s): The Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue began production around 1990-01-01.
Detailed close-up photo of the Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue.
More Pictures of Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue
Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue Pictures
Gallery of Meucci "Taj Mahal" Pool Cue pictures. The Taj-Mahal pool cue is a custom cue built by Bob Meucci and would easily be one of the cues which has fetched the most money for the owner as it changes hands.
This is the infamous "Taj Mahal" pool cue made by Bob Meucci. This cue stick is also known as the "elephant" cue by Meucci. This is a one-off custom cue made by Bob Meucci in his earlier days.
The Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue by Robert Meucci. The Taj-Mahal pool cue has sold a few times, fetching almost $300,000 at the latest sale.
This is the Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue as photographed in late 2017. The cue went up for sale around the end of the year, and sold for ~$20000 USD. The Meucci Taj Mahal model pool cue is one of the most coveted and highly storied custom pool cues from Meucci.
This is an extra large photo of the full Taj Mahal cue from Meucci.
A post from Bob Meucci in Feb 2018 confirming the details surrounding the production of the pool cue back in the 1990s.
Meucci Taj Mahal Cue 2018 Pictures
Pics of the Meucci Taj Mahal cue from it's sale in 2018 on New Art (.co.jp) Billiard Supplies website.
Forearm close-up of the Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue taken in late 2017 for it's sale in January 2018. The Meucci Taj Mahal cue is one of the most famous and storied pool cues ever made by Bob Meucci.
The Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue forearm features 7 ivory elephants with 14 kt gold crowns walking down a winding road made from Indian rosewood toward mountains made from Lapis Lazuli. The forearm is surrounded by black phenolic and 14 karat gold rings.
Photo of the various sections of interest of the Meucci Taj Mahal cue, taken in 2017-2018.
This Meucci cue stick is the Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue. The Taj Mahal cue is a "show off" cue made by Bob Meucci to showcase Meucci's abilities at a trade show in Japan.
The Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue* features a 14 karat gold joint pin as well as a 14 karat gold ring between the joint collar and the forearm.
Photo of the Meucci Taj Mahal cue stick forearm.
Photo of the Meucci Taj Mahal cue stick forearm with gold, Indian rosewood, and lapis lazuli.
Close up of the green inlays in the forearm of the Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue.
Close up of the lapis lazuli mountains in the forearm of the Meucci Taj Mahal cue stick.
Meucci Taj Mahal elephants close-up photo.
Close-up of the 14 karat gold ring between the wrap and the forearm in the Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue.
Close up of the white Irish linen wrap on the Meucci Taj-Mahal pool cue. The clear coat on this cue is over the wrap.
This Meucci cue stick is the Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue. The Meucci Taj Mahal is a unique one-of-a-kind custom pool cue made by Bob Meucci.
Close-up of the Ivory Taj Mahal in the butt sleeve of the Meucci Taj Mahal cue.
Close-up of the Ivory Taj Mahal in the butt sleeve of the Meucci Taj Mahal cue.
Close up photo of the butt sleeve on the famous Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue stick.
Spare Ivory Rings from the Meucci Taj Mahal
Gallery of images showing a collection of scrap or spare ivory rings left-over from the original construction of the Meucci Taj-Mahal pool cue in 1990. These pieces currently belong to Meucci collector Daniel Barkley.
Spare ivory rings from the Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue.
Spare ivory rings from the Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue. Notice the black lines, which were apparently scrimshawed into the ivory, according to Bob Meucci.
Meucci Taj Mahal Accessories
Gallery of accessories made for the famous Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue, including custom joint protectors, a custom pool cue case, and two matching Meucci Taj Mahal shafts.
The set of custom matching joint protectors for the Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue as photographed in early 2018.
This is the custom pool cue case made for the Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue. It has a name plate on the outside which has the cue-maker's name: "Bob Meucci".
Custom pool cue case made for the Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue stick.
2018 photo of the original two matching shafts made for the Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue.
Cue tip from the used 1st pool cue shaft made for the Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue.
Close up of the Meucci Taj Mahal's 1st matching pool cue shaft's joint collar.
Photo of the 14 karat gold shaft insert and joint collar ring in the 1st matching shaft for the Meucci Taj Mahal cue. This shaft #1 is the one which has been used.
Cue tip from the unused 2nd pool cue shaft made for the Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue.
Close up of the Meucci Taj Mahal's 2nd matching pool cue shaft's joint collar.
Photo of the 14 karat gold shaft insert and joint collar ring in the 2nd matching shaft for the Meucci Taj Mahal cue. This shaft #2 is the one which has not been used.
Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue Info
Info on the Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue
So far, this "Taj Mahal" pool cue by Bob Meucci is the most expensive pool cue in our catalog. It was made by Bob Meucci of Meucci Originals for Jim Rempe to take to a trade-show. Jim Rempe was a professional pool player who was a member of the Meucci Originals professional pool player staff at the time.
The "Taj Mahal". This exquisite cue, made by Meucci, displays Bob's creative talents and longtime experience as a cuemaker.
In Feb 2018, Bob Meucci himself confirmed the details on the original production in the Meucci Cues "Buy, Sell, Trade, Show Off" Facebook group:
Bob Meucci: It was made for a trade show to show what we can do and a gentleman in Japan ended up buying it.
According to those in the know in pool cue collectors' circles, the Taj Mahal last sold for $299,000. It may never be for sale again (and as of January 2018 we saw it back up for sale at New Art Co. LTD. of Japan).
So far we know of four transactions involving the Meucci Taj Mahal pool cue.
- The sale to the original buyer, a pool cue collector in Japan, for $50,000.
- An unknown second sale for "in excess of $100,000", reported by Budget Billiards.
- The third sale of the Taj Mahal pool cue reportedly fetched $299,000 by a Japanese cue collector. Further details are not known.
- In January 2018, the cue was for sale on the New Art Co. Billiard Supplies website for ~$20,500, and quickly sold. Unfortunately due to it containing real Ivory, New Art wouldn't export it to the USA or Europe, confirmed by New Art customer service:
Dear ****,
Thank you for your inquiry.
Used MEUCCI Special #2185 “Taj Mahal”
Price: JPY 2,203,200Unfortunately we cannot export this cue since it has a material regulated for exporting... You know.
Thank you.
Tomoya Kawamura
Since New Art wouldn't export it to the USA or Europe, the pool of potential buyers is substantially reduced. This is likely the reason for the low sale price. If the sale was open to US and European buyers it would likely have brought a much higher price. Over twice the amount likely. This Ivory ban makes it far harder to sell the cue, and thus, it is a riskier investment. Higher risk means fewer buyers, and fewer buyers usually means the price is driven down.
In 2018, Meucci collector John McCloud contacted the US Department of Interior (the group responsible for ensuring that no illegal Ivory is imported). He said this of his conversation with them regarding importing the cue:
I now know that I will never touch that cue in the US unless the laws change dramatically. If Bob Meucci said the ivory in the cue was not from anything protected - a warthog for example - they can pull a piece and test it. If it is found not to be from a warthog, you can add 10 years to the 50 they already have you on. So I can buy it and leave it in Japan, but I can't bring it back to the US where it belongs.
[...]
The guy [at the DOI] called the cue by name. I did not. They already knew about it, which is why the seller says he will sell inside Japan only. He knows the deal.
The cue has had other famous mentions as well. Donald Trump is rumored to have mentioned the Meucci "Taj-Mahal" pool cue when telling people what he wanted for Christmas. Trump owned the "Taj Mahal" branded casinos at the time so there may be a connection between that and his desire to own the cue. In 2018, there was a comment from Chris Lawson which somewhat confirms this:
Chris Lawson: Bob Meucci just said Donald Trump tried to buy it for his Taj Mahal casino or hotel once.
Many believe that Bob Meucci pioneered the "art pool cue", first with this "Taj Mahal" pool cue, and then with the "King James" cue. The first made for a tradeshow to showcase Meucci's talent, and the latter made for a famous pool player of that era, Jim Rempe.
Info on the Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue from Budget Billiards
Bob Meucci has built cues for famous movie stars, singers and celebrties. [...] Even Donald Trump stated one of the top items of his Christmas wish list was the Taj Mahal pool cue by Meucci Cues, which sold in excess of $100,000.
Info on the Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue from Diamond Jack (AZB)
2013-02-18, 07:11 AM
I held the Meucci Taj Mahal in my hands, when Jimmy Rempe showed up with it to a German cue show around 1992/93. At this time the cue was priced at $50,000. I will never forget this moment. And this beautiful themed Taj Mahal cue made by Bob Meucci has now sold for $299,000? Amazing...
Info on the Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue from Inside Memphis Business
Bob Meucci's hand crafted products have quickly become must-have collectors' items. His most expensive cue is a $50,000 model with a design of the Taj Mahal set in precious stones, originally purchased by a collector in Japan, and recently sold for the third time for just under $300,000. That one Bob made just for fun.
Info on the Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue from Blue Book of Pool Cues
Meucci has also made some of the most intricate and ornate cues ever built.
The Taj Mahal cue featured a bird's-eye maple forearm with a scene depicting scrimshawed ivory elephants carrying treasures up an Indian ebony winding road. The cue was inlaid with lapis lazuli, bloodstone, and over 3 1/2 ounces of 14-karat gold.
The Taj-Mahal pool cue took over 350 man-hours of labor to complete.
Info on the Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue from MeucciMan79 (AZB)
I know when it was [still priced at] $50K, Donald Trump told all his rich buddies that he wanted that for Christmas.
Info on the Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue from pro9dg (AZB)
2010-11-23, 1:32 PM
Open letter to Bob Meucci
Only people who had the pleasure of gazing at the cue you made for Jim Rempe - THE TAJ MAHAL with 27 elephants curling their way trunk-to-tail up the butt to this majestic Indian landmark could understand what I mean. There were others too, almost as beautiful, which few people aspire to emulate but Meucci designs were the NUTS!
Info on the Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue from New Art Co.LTD.
Among the many collector cues, scarcity is a feature of this supernatural "Taj Mahal" Meucci cue.
The Meucci Taj Mahal cue is a valuable piece made by Bob Meuci for Jim Rempe in the early 1990's. The design, at that time's technology, amazed many cue makers. It featured a winding road of Indian Ebony, the scrimshaw and inlaid elephant train moved with treasure on their back. In the butt sleeve is the Taj Mahal, (a representative building of Islam), and star of night sky, dot inlay is also applied to each.
Expensive materials were used in it's construction. 3.5 ounces (~100 grams) of 14 karat gold is used in the joint pins, shaft inserts and inlay materials. If you convert it at the current rate (Jan 2018), that is $2500 USD in gold inlays alone.
This cue has been sold privately several times since it was produced, reaching a value of nearly $300,000. Between 1992 and 1993, Jim Rempi had it in Europe, and apparently there were discussions at that time around a $500,000 valuation. There are also stories that American president Donald Trump was once a potential buyer of the pool cue, which he planned to give as a Christmas gift.
The Meucci "Taj Mahal" cue comes with two matching shafts, and one is hardly used. The cue, and the two matching shafts fit perfectly in the The cue and shafts come in a heavy-duty custom Meucci pool cue case with Bob Meucci's name on it.
Although the Meucci Taj Mahal cue is a very valuable cue, of course it is also a great-playing pool cue. Even with 3.5 oz of gold, the overall weight is kept to around 20 oz.
The cue has been kept in amazing condition when considering it's age.
When people asked the price of the cue, values of near 1 million dollars have come up in various stories. There have been many prices put to the cue made more than 20 years ago, but this is a one-of a kind unique pool cue that is hard to price objectively. Especially a pool cue that has such a very wonderful story that crosses time and people, and still does not lose its radiance.
Info on the Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue from Daniel Barkley
I knew the Taj Mahal cue was coming on the market a few months ago [in late 2017]. Someone emailed Meucci asking about it, and they sent pictures of it and said they were interested in buying it. They wanted to "verify" that it was the real Taj Mahal cue! Like it could be duplicated!
(via a comment to a Meucci collector Facebook page in Feb 2018)
Info on the Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue from Sean Brown (via Cue Addicts)
I've always admired the innovative designs and one-off masterpieces of Bob Meucci. One of the finest ever made is currently being offered for sale in Japan... The Taj Mahal. This is certainly one of the top cues ever sold in terms of price, circa 1990.
(via a comment to a Meucci collector Facebook page in Feb 2018)
Info on the Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue from Jeff Roma
The Taj Mahal cue is "The Holy Grail of Meuccis".
(via a comment to a Meucci collector Facebook page in Feb 2018)
| Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue Specs | |
|---|---|
| Balance Point: | 450 mm from the butt (with shaft #1 installed) |
| Butt Length: | 28.977 Inches |
| Butt Sleeve: | Indian Ebony, 14 karat gold, Ivory, Bloodstone |
| Cue Maker: | Robert J. Meucci (Bob Meucci) |
| Forearm: | Birds-eye maple and Indian ebony with scrimshawed elephants done in ivory. Mountains are Lapis Lazuli. |
| Inlays: | Lapis Lazuli, Bloodstone, and over 3.5 ounces of 14-Karat Gold. The elephants are real Ivory. The Taj Mahal building is also real ivory. |
| Joint Pin Size: | 5/16x18 |
| Joint Pin Type: | 14 karat gold joint pin and shaft insert. |
| Production Method: | Custom Pool Cue |
| Quantity Produced: | 1 |
| Shaft: | 2 Matching shafts exist, featuring 14 karat gold rings and shaft inserts. Shaft #1 is 106 grams in weight, and 28.98 inches in length (736 mm). It has been played and exhibits several years of use, and may have slight warping. Shaft #2 has never been used. It is 29.06 inches in length (738 mm) and weighs 115.9 grams. It has no visible warpage when visually inspected. |
| Weight: | The main cue weighs 16.24 oz. With the shaft, it weighs 19.98 oz. |
| Where Manufactured: | Meucci Cues Plant in Sledge, MS (United States) |
| Wrap: | White Irish linen with urethane coating. |
Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue Value
Use this data below as a general guide to value and find out how much a Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue is worth. All priced in USD.
Value of a Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue from Private Sale
Listings showing past sale prices for the Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue from private sales e.g. one private owner to a private buyer, etc. Some of these are un-verifiable. In such cases we'll still post the source of the anecdotal information and you can evaluate it's validity for yourself. If you know of any additional pricing info for the Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue or can show us how to verify any of these existing pool cue values, leave a note in the comments area at the bottom of the page.
| Date | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1992-01-01 | $50,000.00 | Inside Memphis Business Magazine (Feb/Mar 2015) |
| 2018-01-30 | $20,150.00 | New Art (Japan) |
| Unknown | $100,000.00 | Budget Billiards |
| Unknown | $299,000.00 | AZB (Diamond Jack) |
Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue Identifiers
Officially, the Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue model number is , but it may be seen in the wild listed as any one of the following model numbers or model names:
- Meucci Taj-Mahal
- Taj-Mahal Cue by Bob Meucci
- Meucci Elephant Taj-Mahal Cue
- Title: Meucci Taj Mahal Pool Cue
- Author: billiardsforum (Billiards Forum)
- Published: 5/23/2017 8:15:19 PM
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